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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29707614">Your Phone's Off the Hook, But You're Not</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/'>Anonymous</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Also a heavy dose of Finn/Poe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, One Night Stands, Poe and Ben: Not Best Buddies But Will Need To Suck It Up, Rey and Finn: Best Buddies Forever</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:21:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,048</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29707614</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rey never thought she'd fall for a guy who used two-in-one shampoo-conditioner. It's worse than she ever imagined.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Anonymous</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I don't usually write Reylo but I follow a few on Twitter and their enthusiasm is infectious. This little plot bunny didn't seem to work for my OTP but it kind of just wrote itself when it's Reylo? It feels right, anyways.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She woke up with her mouth feeling like it was stuffed with cotton and a flaky crust around her eyes that would be the envy of bakers and little old ladies alike. Rey groaned silently as she moved to get enough of the gunk out to open her eyes. Never again will she drink, a refrain she’s sung a million times over but never seems to quite ring true. </p><p>This was <em> Finn’s </em> fault - it was that ‘lounge,’ which is a fancy name for a bar that has worse music and more expensive drinks, he’d been wanting to go to. This is what happens when you let a country boy who's only ever gone to private Christian schools out by himself in the big, bad city. They go to <em> lounges</em>. And they take their easily influenced and highly protective friends along for the ride. </p><p>Finn had only moved to the city a year ago and after years of living on a farm, studying only the word of Christ and waking up at 5am every day to sing to the chickens (or whatever, Rey has no idea how farms work), he was making up for lost sin. It was like he was on a one man mission to turn the tri-city area into a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah. </p><p>But -- another soft groan -- she can’t ever stay mad at him, and as she peeled her eyes open, nature’s glue coming undone and letting light filter so they could burn her sockets, she took a deep breath. </p><p>
  <em> Wait a damn minute. </em>
</p><p>Her eyes shot open now. That <em> wasn’t </em>her ceiling. She had one of those erotic nipple looking light fixtures that only gave off a cream colored light. This was one of those ultra-modern built-into the house types that burned blinding white light. She had popcorn ceilings. This one was smooth and lacked that suspicious crack that her landlord said not to worry about.</p><p>She shot upright, core activated and ready to flee. A draft played against her breasts and <em> oh, God, am I naked? </em> She checked under the cover quickly before wrapping herself up again. <em> Oh, God, I am. Why am I naked?  </em></p><p>She surveyed the room and pinched herself as her eyes darted around the room. That’s not her poster for some arthouse film on the wall (she would never watch that kind self-important crap). That’s not her pile of clothes in the corner (She wasn’t an animal; her’s were on a chair). That’s not her desk, cluttered and littered with half-eaten snacks. (Okay, well, that could very well be her desk but she doesn’t recognize <em> any </em>of that stuff.)</p><p>“Oh, God,” she whispered. Something stirred next to her and instinct caused her to draw the covers further up her chest. She followed a mop of long black hair down to an exposed chest and arms lazily grabbing at the cover. <em> A man </em> . A man she <em> definitely </em> did <em> not </em> know. The prayer came out frantic and maybe if she were lucky the Big Guy would let Finn know because, “Oh, God. Oh, <em> God </em>.” </p><p>Rey made a move to get out of bed but stilled instantly. She’s naked, isn’t she? <em> Clothes </em> . Where are her clothes? Her bra is hanging on the doorknob, frilly lace swaying leisurely in that insufferable draft as if satisfied it’d done its job. She had <em> not </em> worn it for <em> this</em>. Her underwear are nowhere to be found, and her shirt, pants, and jacket have decided to go with it. She cursed silently and bit the nail of her thumb. </p><p>The bathroom. She’ll head for the bathroom and call Finn. </p><p><em> Call Finn with what, you idiot? </em> She threw her head back silently, exasperated, before she regained her focus. <em> Think, Rey, think. </em>Her head nearly did a full 360 rotation as she tried to search for her belongings and develop a plan at the same time. </p><p>Her eyes settled on the smartphone on the stranger’s side of the bed. It’s very bad form and normally she’d never do it, but then again, normally she wouldn’t ever be in positions where he’d have to do this anyways. </p><p>She crept out of the bed, each move slow and deliberate, desperately hoping the guy was a heavy sleeper. She tip-toed in almost exaggerated movements, trying to step on piles of dirty laundry to prevent the floor from creaking, ignoring how it’s too damn cold to be naked in an unheated room. In a swift motion, she scooped up an oversized hoodie from the floor and took a quick moment to shimmy into it. </p><p><em> This guy is massive </em> , she thought as she observed how it hung from her. Without a single thought in her head, she lifted the collar and sniffed it. <em> Sweat and drugstore aftershave. </em>It permeated her nostrils like it was clinging to her own skin. The man on the bed shifted and his arm would have nailed her stomach had she still been lying there. It seems like he wasn’t used to people in his bed. </p><p>As she reached for the phone, she surreptitiously took a glance at his face. Bit of a long face, a couple of moles, patchy stubble, and dark bird’s nest of hair all thrown together haphazardly. She followed the curves of his body. Tall. She liked tall, she figured. Maybe between the alcohol and the height, he’d managed to charm her because he sure as hell wasn’t as classically handsome as the guy Finn was talking to. </p><p><em> Finn </em>. Right, she needs to call Finn. She closed the door silently, flinching as the hinges creaked until the soft click secured her privacy. She groaned as the phone opened without a passcode. Oh, God, had she slept with a man who was too lazy or incompetent not to put a lock on their phone? Alright, focus, Rey, this is a good thing. Silver linings and all that. But seriously, no passcode, not even ---</p><p>“Hello?” Finn answered. Bless his sweet country heart, he picks up calls from unknown numbers. </p><p>“Finn? Finn!” she whispered urgently. “It’s me!”</p><p>“Rey?” She could hear him taking the phone from his ear and inspecting the number. “Where are you? I couldn’t find you last night and you weren’t answering my calls. I was worried sick - I thought you ended up in some gutter...” He paused, a thought occurring to him: “Wait, how did you get a new phone in the gutter?”</p><p>“It's new, if you use the term liberally,” she offered. She looked around the bathroom and let out a small, defeated breath. Oh, my God, he uses two-in-one shampoo-conditioner. “Finn, I did something <em> bad</em>.”</p><p>“Took another free sample bad or ‘I need you to meet me outside of town with a shovel’ bad?”</p><p>She brought both her hands together in a small prayer. A ride-or-die friend is once in a lifetime. “Somewhere in between.”</p><p>“As in?”</p><p>“I am in some strange man’s bathroom, I don’t know where my clothes are, and I’ve stolen his phone.”</p><p>“Oh,” It dropped lifelessly from his mouth. There was some frenzied shuffling on the other end of the line and the sounds of sheets being removed with vigor. More shuffling noise and the sounds of drawers opening and closing and fabric hitting the receiver as he dressed. “I’ll fucking <em>kill</em> him.”</p><p>“Oh--<em>no. </em>No, it’s not like that, Finn, I swear, I'm fine, really,” she explained quickly. “Was I talking to a guy last night?”</p><p>“There wasn’t a single person, guy or girl, you weren’t talking to last night,” he replied. He was still angry, that was clear, and she thought he might follow through on his threat. “Where are you, Rey?”</p><p>“I wish I knew!” she hissed. “But can you come get me if I find out?”</p><p>“Share your location with me.”</p><p>“I just told you I don’t know where I am.”</p><p>“The phone’s location, you tech illiterate idiot,” he huffed. She was silent for a moment. If silence could be palpably confused, this was as close as it was going to get. “Okay, open the Find My app and select the People tab.”</p><p>“Give me a moment, okay? You’re going too quickly here,” she said as she navigated the phone. She’d only just gotten one of these phones last year after her old flip phone finally broke down on her. She wanted to get another one but Finn said it’s impossible to live in the modern world without one of these. She was a genius with all the mechanical bits but when it came to actually trying to use them, she was hopeless. That’s where Finn came in. Before anything, her curiosity pushed her to open the Settings and read the name. <em> Kylo Ren </em>. She closed it and went to find the app. “Okay, now what?”</p><p>“Hit Start Sharing Location and type my number in,” he replied. He waited for a few seconds, enough time for her to navigate. “Then press send.”</p><p>It took her a few seconds but it’s done. “Done.”</p><p>“Got it. You’re…” Finn trailed off. “You’re banging a rich dude.”</p><p>She didn’t mean to sound so surprised but her taste ran in the opposite direction and the guy in the bed was right up her alley in that regard. “Really?” </p><p>“Yeah, you’re in the Heights,” There was movement and then keys being scraped against a nightstand. A guy’s voice whined in the background, sleep slurring his words, for Finn to <em> come back to the bed</em>. Finn hadn’t hung up yet so she heard him lean in and mutter something -- a rejection, a <em> be right back </em> , a<em> I have to go save my stupid friend </em> -- then the noise of a lips against flesh rang through the receiver. He was talking to her again, “I’ll be there in ten. Get out of there and meet me outside the building ASAP.”</p><p>Rey felt kind of bad - seems like Finn had better plans for his...she looked at the clock. Holy <em> shit</em>, it’s <em> five</em>. Rey groaned. He’d left the farm but he still had a cluck to come tend to, didn’t he? </p><p>“Thank you, Finn,” she said softly. There was a soft reply and a click that let her know he’d hung up.</p><p>She sat in the small bathroom for a bit, drawing her knees to her chest, and resting her head against them. Now that she was saved, she could focus on the raging headache and slew of other symptoms that should already have acted as a Pavlovian detriment to drinking. She had a few minutes to herself now and she should probably take it to reflect on why she couldn’t hold her liquor, make sound decisions, and/or how she ended up in this situation. </p><p>A quick inspection in the mirror revealed that her hair had decided to workshop it’s impression of Medusa’s. Her poorly applied mascara was smeared but she wasn’t convinced that the raccoon eye she was sporting now wasn’t an improvement. All her pores were open, nail polish chipped, lipstick faded where it wasn’t smudged. She looked like a fucking hurricane had chewed her up and spit her out then decided to do it again for kicks.</p><p>She contemplated fixing herself up but decided against doing anything that would wake the guy up. As silent as possible, she peeked out into the room to stare at the guy again. He was sprawled out on his back, the white comforter only barely covering his groin and midsection. One elbow jutted out, a hand resting above his head and revealing armpits that could use a trim, while the other hung limply off the side of the bed. His head was tilted back, strawberry red lips wide open, an obnoxious snore escaping every so often. </p><p>She leaned against the jamb silently and smiled despite herself. He was kind of cute in his own way. </p><p>She almost dropped the phone when it dinged a second later and a text from a number she immediately recognized as Finn’s appeared on the lock screen: <em> What part of meet me outside didn’t you get?! </em></p><p><em> Holy, shit, </em>she thought to herself. How long had she been watching him sleep?</p><p>Unconsciously, she stuffed the stolen phone in the stolen hoodie’s pocket and made her way out of the room successfully. She crept through an equally dirty living room where, despite her other possessions being MIA, she managed to pick up her purse and jacket before heading out of the place. </p><p>And if it weren’t so early, she’d be embarrassed waiting for the elevator with what appeared to be a janitor who wasn’t paid nearly enough to have to piece together what the hell Rey’s story was. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There was nothing better than eating Finn’s pancakes after a hot shower. This, Rey was more than willing to concede, was <em> living </em>. Finn had fished out some of the assorted clothes that she’d left at his place; great, save for the fact that the only thing he could find that looked halfway decent were a pair of overalls which, despite his clear attempts to vanquish them, had stains so old and deep-set that their faded remnants refused to disappear. Still, they were comfy with an old shirt of Finn’s underneath. </p><p>Yeah, this <em> would </em> be living...if only it weren’t for the intense and extremely spiteful stare of the guy Finn had brought home last night across from her, who decided the only way to eat his food was to stab at it aggressively while staring her down. </p><p>She smiled as sweetly as she could muster. <em> How the hell was I supposed to know? </em>she wanted to shout but instead, she opted for the more neutral option. “Poe, was it?”</p><p>“Yup,” he replied, lips smacking together with the force in which it came out. “Dameron.”</p><p>Finn (<em>sweet, dear Finn</em>) seemed completely oblivious to the dark atmosphere that hung between them. He leaned in conspiratorially -- you could even call it <em> excitedly </em>-- to whisper: “He’s a pilot.”</p><p><em> Wonderful news, Finn, but what is he still doing here? </em> At least she had the decency to sneak out without the awkward morning-after song-and-dance. “Oh, how lovely,” she responded absentmindedly. </p><p>Poe’s fork scraped against the plate as he went in for another attack and it seemed deliberate this time. The older man hadn’t had a chance to shower or comb his hair, but still he looked as handsome as she remembered the night before. <em> The jerk. </em></p><p>“How’s the food?” Finn asked after a beat. </p><p>“Great,” she took an enthusiastic mouthful. “Thanks, Papa.”</p><p>“<em>Papa </em>?” Poe repeated with a grim mockery. </p><p><em> Oh </em> , she did not like this man. Not one bit. “It’s a little thing we have. Sometimes when he does things like this I call him Papa and you know, when I do stuff like this for him, he calls me Mama. It’s, you know, kind of our <em> thing</em>. But, of course, <em> you </em> don’t need to know this, do you?”</p><p>Finn kicked her under the table and the look he gave her told her loud and clear to play nice. </p><p>“<em> Cute </em>,” Poe sneered sarcastically before he looked at Finn. “Is it okay to take a shower?”</p><p>And on Finn’s okay, he got up quickly, chair scraping against the floor as he did, to head into the bathroom. Once the door shuts, their armistice is broken.</p><p>Immediately, Finn turned to her: “Be nice to him.”</p><p>“I was nice to him,” she responded with a mouth full of food. “But did you see what he was doing to your poor plate? Someone had to defend it’s honor!”</p><p>“Chew with your mouth closed,” Finn reprimanded while handing her a napkin. There was a bit of a dreamy look in his eye as he sighed. Rey stuck her tongue out and gagged to bring him back to reality. “He’s sensitive, Rey. The type that likes acoustic guitar and poetry.”</p><p>She burst out in a laugh, little chunks of pancake flying out with the noise. “You’re kidding me, right?” Rey nodded her head, encouraging him to agree. “No, really, you’re kidding me.”</p><p>“No, I am not <em> kidding </em> you,” he repeated, trying to mimic her accent but failing to hit the right note. “I really like him.”</p><p>“You’ve known him less than a day, Finn.”</p><p>“I know but I feel that-- that <em> spark</em>.”</p><p>“One night and you’re ready to tie to knot and settle down?” she blinked. She almost felt betrayed. She did a mocking little shimmy, head bouncing everywhere, inflection all over the place as she took her turn impersonating him: “What happened to ‘let’s take a bite out of the world, Rey’? ‘Let’s be wild and free, Rey’?”</p><p>“Okay, so you caught me in a lie,” he said quickly and Finn talked quickly when he was getting flustered. “I’m <em> so </em> sick of these weird guys and their grabby hands. I <em> hate </em> staying up late and being hung over. I am <em> so </em> damn tired. I like settled down and boring and cheesy. I like <em> Poe</em>.”</p><p>“Well, you can take your settled down and boring and cheesy and shove it up your --”</p><p>“Rey...” he warned. </p><p>She smiled with a glint in her eye as she leaned back in her chair. “I was going to say ‘calendar’ because spring is coming up and it’s a lovely time to scope out potential wedding venues.”</p><p>He snorted. “You were not going to say ‘shove it up your calendar.’ I just know you weren’t.”</p><p>“I never, ever want to sleep with a man that turns me into a puddle like this man has done to you,” she laughed. “If that ever happens, please hit me over the head--with a frying pan or something large and hard, I don’t care. Just put me out of my misery.”</p><p>Finn made a face as a trill noise, pixely and dated, emanated through the room. At first, Finn and Rey ignored it but once they were sure it wasn’t some undiagnosed mental condition acting up, they caught each other’s eyes. Finn reached into his pocket and produced his phone, screen still dark. In turn, she patted her pockets and put her arms up in confusion. Poe had grabbed his phone and taken it into the bathroom with him (which Rey thinks is a little suspicious, but considering she had ---)</p><p>“Oh, fuck, Finn, it’s <em> his </em> phone!” she exclaimed. She stood up abruptly and tried to locate the sound. Her voice came out a touch more shrill than she wanted: “The coffee table. Why is it on the coffee table?”</p><p>A split second of silence and then they both bolted over. “I took it out of the hoodie pocket before washing it,” Finn replied, staring at the phone like it was the first time he’d seen one. It wasn’t a contact, just a random string of numbers and judging from the area code, it was local. “Maybe it’s an ad or a scammer?”</p><p>In the pits of both of their stomachs though, they knew it wasn’t but they hoped anyways.</p><p>“Yeah, it could be,” Rey said. Her head was swaying from side-to-side as she thought. “Let’s let the machine get it.”</p><p>“Right.”</p><p>The caller waited until the very last ring and even after the one missed call message appeared, there was no voicemail. <em> Maybe we were wrong </em> , they thought, <em> maybe it was just a </em> --- another call. <em> Okay, weird, back-to-back spam calls. </em>And then it rings again. And again. And again. Every time, no voicemail. By this point, the pair had taken a seat on the couch and made a game of watching the vibrations take the phone closer and closer to the edge of the table.</p><p>“Finn, it’s ringing again,” Rey agonized, her head knocking against Finn’s. Her finger jabbed the air, motioning towards the vibrating phone. “Why won’t it stop ringing?”</p><p>“We should answer it, shouldn’t we?” Finn responded from beside her, staring at the lit up screen. “It’s probably the owner trying to find it.”</p><p>“Yeah, probably,” she replied. “But do we want him to find us?”</p><p>Finn considered the question. He was fit but he also didn’t like to fight if he didn’t need to. “What kind of guy is he?”</p><p>“Big. Built. Looming.”</p><p>“Great,” Finn sucked his teeth. The phone finally stopped ringing but two seconds later, it was off to the races again. “Why doesn’t he leave a voicemail?”</p><p>“He only has a few choice words and he doesn’t want to waste them on the machine?” she offered playfully but Finn’s side eye cut her off. “Should we turn it off then?”</p><p>There was a deep sigh from just to their left as Finn’s beau reemerged from the bathroom, fully dressed in last night’s clothes that had been carefully laundered by Finn earlier that morning. Rey smiled up at him but the deep set frown refused to budge. He was clearly still pissed off at whatever he was planning being disrupted and Rey, when the moment was right and he was in a more amenable mood, would apologize properly. After all, Finn seemed to think this guy would be around for a while. </p><p>She snuck a few more glances at him. He left the first two buttons of his dress shirt undone, revealing the chain with a gold ring on it buried in dark chest hair. Her eyes were trained on the ring - it looked a little bit like a wedding band, didn’t it? And he was definitely older, but Rey couldn’t exactly pinpoint how much older. Mature, that’s for sure, and older than Finn. </p><p>Finn, who had terrible taste in men. Who met this man at a lounge and presumably knows nothing about him. A man with a wedding ring around his neck and a suspicious pale patch of skin around his fourth finger, left hand. Rey’s mouth parted slightly. </p><p><em> The bastard. </em>She could sense something suspicious about him from the very beginning, like he was hiding something. She always had a great sense for these things and she fancied herself a bit of a psychic people-reader. </p><p>“Are you two going to answer that thing?” the asshole asked. He stared at them for a quick second, giving Rey a funny look, which she tried to return. <em> I’m onto you, “Poe,” if that’s even your real name </em>, she tried to convey through the various jerky movements of her features. “Uh, alright then. I’m going to answer it, guys, because it’s driving me insane.”</p><p>They both stretched out an arm, an emphatic <em> no! </em> and <em> stop! </em>playing on their lips as he hit the green circle to accept the call. There was a burst of static, the sound of traffic and rustling, before an angry voice came through in bits and pieces: “Final--you--swerred, you fucking bastard!” </p><p>That last portion came through crystal clear. The actual bastard in question grimaced into a throw pillow that now covered her face. </p><p>“Yes, may I ask who’s calling?” Poe deadpanned after a few seconds. He didn’t seem like the type to take to being insulted after the morning he was having.</p><p>“Wise guy, huh?” the grainy voice came through better this time but the connection was still pretty bad. “Giv--me--damn--phone.”</p><p>“I’m sorry, you’re going to have to speak up,” Poe bellowed into the receiver. “It’s hard to understand you with all that static. New phone and all.”</p><p>“<em> Oh </em>, fuck you!”</p><p>Just then, Poe’s eyes narrowed in recognition. As if he’d heard the insult many times in the past. It was a sharp and disbelieving question: “<em> Ben </em>?”</p><p>There was a long silence on the other end on the line and the sound of a car pulling over. Finally, a response: “Dameron?”</p><p>Poe glanced at Finn then at Rey, confusion apparent on his face. “Uh, yeah, it’s me.”</p><p>“Where the hell did you find my phone?” </p><p>He turned away from the younger pair on the couch and took the phone off speaker to whisper. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”</p><p>“Try me,” the other man challenged. “Where are you?”</p><p>“Uh, I’ll message you the address,” he said. “Let’s talk <em> after </em> you get your phone back though.”</p><p>“Wait, Poe, who are you giving my address to?” Finn sprang up. “And how do you know that guy?”</p><p>“Who’s Ben?” Rey added immediately on the heels of Finn’s question. “That phone belongs to someone named Kylo Ren.”</p><p>Poe put his lips together and expelled as much air as possible through them. “Something of, <em> uh </em>,” his hands did a little dance in the air as he tried the best word to describe what he wanted to say. “A friend of mine. In a way.”</p><p>“In a way?” Rey chimed. </p><p><em> Rey-Brain: now operational and ready to process information. </em> Fact: the guy she slept with is friends with the guy Finn just slept with. Fact: He was on his way here, pissed off, to collect his stolen property. Fact: Rey had no plans of returning the hoodie, which is very comfortable, a small token she deserves after losing her clothes at his place. Fact: Poe, still very suspicious. Extrapolation: the guy she slept with is probably equally questionable. </p><p>Conclusion: Not good, abort mission. </p><p>“Maybe you could meet him somewhere with the phone then?” she suggested. “He is a stranger to us after all.”</p><p>Poe muttered absentmindedly as he typed the address. “Well, you certainly chose a weird time for boundaries with this particular stranger.”</p><p>Rey took a fighting step forward but Finn grabbed her arm. He turned to Poe. “Hey. Apologize,” he commanded. “Or get out.”</p><p>Poe’s head snapped upward. Finn’s face looked stern. And dead serious. “I’m sorry,” he offered. “That was more of a reaction to, <em> uh</em>, Ben, than it was to you,” he sighed. “I’m sorry, okay?”</p><p>“Apology not accepted,” she bunched up her face. She, in her graciousness, remembered that Poe’s morning had been somewhat ruined by her cry for help. That, she didn’t much care about, if she were honest, but Finn seemed to be head-over-heels for the guy already. <em> That</em>, she cared about. “But tolerated.”</p><p>Finn seemed relieved at that so she let it go. Besides, if Poe's estimate is correct, she's got bigger things -- and memories began to flash back in her mind with those words -- to worry about in ten minutes. </p>
<hr/><p>Ben / Kylo Ren arrived by buzzing Finn’s apartment an obnoxious amount of times then banging on the door wildly as if they weren’t expecting him. And almost as if it was Poe’s apartment and not Finn’s or the one Rey’s been to countless times, Poe buzzed him in and answered the door, each time staring at the younger pair huddled together on the opposite side of the room as if they were aliens. (Granted, they were both orphans and Rey thought being alien siblings deposited on Earth was a much more interesting backstory than them just having two sets of parents that left them at emergency room entrances shortly after birth.)</p><p>“Okay, where the hell is my damn phone?” Ben / Kylo Ren nearly shouted as he pushed open the door, nearly knocking Poe down in process. </p><p>He was bigger when standing, Rey thought. It was the first thing she noticed. He wasn’t abnormally tall really but his presence added another foot to his height, making him seem like a giant. They were angry now but somehow she knew those eyes were capable of being gentle, fiery, full of desire and something stirred within her at a memory that was too hazy to make out. </p><p>She glanced at his hands, calloused with veins and muscle pressing against his skin and suddenly, there were memories in her mind of those same fingers pressing into her skin, cold and possessive, and…oh, fuck, how much did <em> he </em>remember of last night? </p><p>He was huddled close to Poe now, speaking to the other man in low tones, and even as his eyes scanned the room and settled on them, not clear if he was looking at her or Finn, she felt drawn to him. </p><p>And this was her worst nightmare. </p><p>For one, he was wearing mismatched socks with sandals. He hadn’t combed his hair and pieces were sticking out all over the place. His beard was coming in funny, not nearly as full or neat as Poe’s. And she was almost certain that he’d drunk another beer that morning judging by the stench wafting her way. And she was certain this foul mood he was in wasn’t reserved for stolen property. It was just a step above baseline, her gut told her that much. </p><p>
  <em> This is what she was drawn to?  </em>
</p><p>She turned to look at Finn, who was already looking at her and may have been doing so for quite some time. His face looked like incredulity, skepticism and dread had merged to create a new emotion. If it had a name it would have been ‘<em> that’s the guy you slept with?’ </em></p><p>As Poe and the stranger whispered, Finn decided it would be as good a time as any to have a chat with Rey. “Really?”</p><p>“Don’t start when you brought home Mr. Stick-Up-His-Butt.”</p><p>“At least he showers.”</p><p>She scoffed, trying to bluff. “He showers.”</p><p>Finn was skeptical. “Really?”</p><p>“Yes,” she nodded, not confident. “Actually, he’s quite eco-friendly and efficient.”</p><p>“<em>Really </em>?” he somehow sounded more skeptical. </p><p>“Yes, when I was in his bathroom, I saw him use a product that would allow him to wash his hair in a very timely fashion.”</p><p>“Two-in-one?” Finn looked at her, pity on his face and in his tone. “At his big age?”</p><p>“Ah, well, you know, I didn’t get a good <em> look </em>at it considering the circumstances.”</p><p>“So it could have been three-in-one then.”</p><p>“Oh, God, please no.”</p>
<hr/><p>Ben leaned in to whisper to Poe as he observed the two people at the opposite end of the room take turns exchanging odd looks with each other.</p><p>“So, uh, which one of them did I sleep with again?” </p><p>The thought of Ben sleeping with Finn almost made him blackout in rage. “The girl,” Poe responded flatly. Exasperated, he added: “How do you not remember that?”</p><p>“It’s hard to keep track of these things. But...<em> nice </em>,” he nodded as he appraised her. “Nice job, drunk Ben.”</p><p>Poe’s lips curled in disgust. “You’re disgusting.” </p><p>“Oh? And what about you?” Ben laughed scornfully. He glanced again at the pair that were clutching onto each other, very clearly straining to hear. “Very, very cute. How old is he supposed to be again?”</p><p>“Older than her at least,” Poe whispered sharply. </p><p>“Okay, so we’re both degenerates then,” Ben shrugged. “But as an FYI, at least I’m still in my twenties. What’s your excuse?”</p><p>There was a pink tint in the older man’s cheeks now. “Scotch and a killer smile.”</p><p>“Sap,” the other man rolled his eyes. </p><p>“At least I didn’t get my phone stolen.”</p><p>“No, just your heart, huh?” the other man mocked with a condescending nod. “Get it together, Dameron, you can’t be serious here.”</p><p>“I am together, okay?” he retorted. “And I know what I can and can’t get myself into. I don’t need <em> you </em>of all people to remind me.”</p><p>Ben ruffled the hair at the back of his head before exhaling slowly. He took another opportunity to give Rey the once over. <em> Very nice, indeed. What a shame. </em>“Let’s go,” he said finally. “There’s nothing here for us. It shouldn’t have even gotten to this point.”</p><p>“I can’t believe you’re the voice of reason here,” Poe sighed. “What are we going to tell them?”</p><p>“Nothing,” Ben shrugged. “One night stands don’t need to be told anything. Like Gone with the Wind.”</p><p>“For the last time, that’s not what that book was about.”</p><p>“Whatever. Doesn’t change what I said.”</p><p>A small agreement fell lifelessly from Poe’s lips as he glanced at Finn. The younger man smiled at the attention and without thinking, Poe returned it and held the gaze. </p><p>“Hey, hey, hey, that’s enough of that,” Ben waved a hand in front of Poe’s face to block his view of the younger man. Finn took immediate offense to the action but Rey held him in place. His head motion toward the door. “Let’s go, Dameron. Now.”</p>
<hr/><p>The conversation between their respective beaus seemed tense but familiar from where they were standing. They were huddled close, whispering and occasionally glancing at the younger pair. </p><p>“What do you think they’re talking about?” Rey leaned in to ask Finn. Her eyes never left the two men and now Ben or Kylo Ren or whoever he was checking her out again. <em> That </em> look felt familiar and visions of the night before seemed to come back to her in blurry bits.  </p><p>“Us,” Finn nodded. “Definitely us.”</p><p>“But why not just talk to us?”</p><p>“Good question,” he shrugged. A beat later, “How do you think they know each other?”</p><p>“I don’t know,” she tilted her head to think about it. “Were they together at the lounge?”</p><p>“No,” he shook his head. “Poe was alone. I don’t know <em> where </em> you found him.”</p><p>“I wish I could remember,” It was her turn to shrug and wait a beat. “What do you think of him?”</p><p>“Uh, interesting,” Finn responded politely. “Not your usual type.”</p><p>“But he’s got a magnetism to him, no?”</p><p>“You can just say you think he’s hot. You don’t need my approval.”</p><p>She hit him playfully. “Whose asking for your approval?”</p><p>“Wait, they’re doing something now,” Finn hit her arm excitedly a few times and this time, she hit him back less playfully to get him to stop. “Wait, they’re <em> leaving</em>.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>The door was already partially opened before they’d even noticed the impending departure. “Hey,” Finn called out, taking a step forward and out of Rey’s grip, “Where are you going?”</p><p>Poe had an answer ready but the other guy -- Finn wasn't sure if it was Ben or Kylo Ren still -- cut him off. “Out of here,” he replied briskly. He addressed the whole room with the next statement, as if he were making some grand pronouncement, “It’s been a good time, we should all do this again sometime. See you later, Fey and Linn.”</p><p>Poe seemed to object but before he could get something out the door slammed hard enough to shake the building. </p><p>They turned to each other, utterly confused. “Fey?” Finn repeated.</p><p>“Linn?” Rey blinked in. </p><p>Finn shook his head to clear it. He dug in his pocket and produced a small piece of white paper with a number on it and waved it in her face. “That’s your guy, not mine.”</p><p>
  <em> That’s her guy? </em>
</p><p>Rey groaned. At least she’ll never have to see him again. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>If she wasn’t sure it would break Finn’s heart, she would kill Poe Dameron with her bare hands. That terrible, horrible, no good, very bad asshole of a man had given him a fake number. And it wouldn’t be so bad if Finn was a little bit mad about it. It wouldn’t even be so bad if he were outright sad about it. Instead, he did what he always did when he was upset about something: he baked. Which wouldn’t be so bad except if Rey had to eat another of these cobblers, she was going to burn every orchard in the country one-by-one. </p><p>“Maybe he just wrote the wrong number down,” Rey offered as she picked at the piece of cobbler in front of her. Blueberry this time. </p><p>Finn looked over his shoulder, a bit of hope in his eyes as he considered the idea. Just as quick, he looked back down at the task in front of him. “He repeated it twice for me.”</p><p><em> That was just cruel </em>, she thought. She wracked her mind for a minute then perked suddenly, pushing the plate away from her. “Wait, Finn, aren’t there websites where you can search people’s names and get their numbers?”</p><p>The older man stilled and stared at the macerated strawberries on the counter in front of him. He turned to look over his shoulder, curiosity in his eyes. He shook his head a second later, more to himself than to her, before he went back to work. “No, that would be too weird.”</p><p>“Not at all,” Rey beamed. She pulled out her phone (which, although dead, had been in her purse luckily) and went to work. “How do you spell his last name? It’s a weird one, isn’t it? We should be able to find him easily. Okay, P-O-E. Da--Damiron?”</p><p>A brief second passed before he rushed to hover over her shoulder at the table. He spelled the name quickly, “D-A-M-E-R-O-N.”</p><p>“Slow down, Finn,” she frowned. “D-A---what?”</p><p>“D-A-M-E-R-O-N. Keep up here.”</p><p>“I bet you’ve been writing Finn Dameron over and over again in your diary,” she chuckled as she hit “Search.” The power of modern technology really is amazing because it only took a few seconds for the search to come up with <em> zero </em> results. Rey’s eyebrow rose as she muttered, “That’s odd.”</p><p>“Nothing?” he seemed equally astonished. “It’s a pretty unique name.”</p><p>“Yeah, if it was his real name,” she snorted. Then just as quickly, she covered her mouth. </p><p>“What do you mean, ‘if it was his real name’?”</p><p>“It’s a pretty outrageous name, Finn. And besides…”</p><p>“And besides what?”</p><p>“Did you not notice the, uh --” She made a frantic half circle around her neck, trying to trace the shape of a necklace. She flinched sheepishly, teeth clenched and exposed, awaiting the terrible reaction when she pointed out the obvious: “The necklace?”</p><p>“The necklace?” Finn’s eyebrow rose before recognition hit. Except he didn’t seem very upset and now Rey’s countenance doesn’t seem to know what to do. “That’s his mom’s wedding ring. His <em> dead </em> mom, Rey, and it has a lot of sentimental value.”</p><p>“So he doesn’t make you suspicious at all then?” she asked after a beat. Rey seemed skeptical still. “Because that could be a cute, heart-warming story to lure cute men who love having their heart warmed into bed.”</p><p>“No,” Finn was trying to restrain a smile now and Rey’s heart melted. “I know it seems stupid but I really believe he’s a good guy, Rey.”</p><p>“Okay, okay, <em> okay </em>, fine!” she exhaled sharply. She’d stand vigilant guard over Finn until she could shake this feeling that Poe Dameron was most definitely a suspicious character. “I’m dropping it. It’s dropped.”</p><p>“But you do have a point and all I have is a <em> feeling </em>,” he moved to take a seat as well. “Maybe it wasn’t his real name. Maybe he’s not really a pilot. Maybe it was all for show, you know? Like, he gave me a fake number on purpose because he was only pretending to like me. And maybe everything he said to me last night was a lie.”</p><p>The way Finn said it was a little melancholy and he got back up to attend to his strawberries; head still down and shoulders now slumped. She’d throttle Poe when she gets her hands on him. <em> Think, Rey, think. Do we even want this Poe guy back in Finn’s life? Surely Finn’ll get over him eventually. </em>Just then, the oven dinged and out came another damn cobbler. Peach. </p><p>She needed to find Poe Dameron.</p><p>Maybe Kylo Ren / Ben would know. She hadn’t thought much about his and Poe’s odd acquaintance. Despite the fact they seemed quite comfortable together, the tense energy between them screamed they didn’t really care for each other. Still, they’d left together. Speaking of which, aside from a few choice glances, that guy’d completely ignored her, hadn’t he? That kind of pissed her off. She’d looked downright <em> cute </em> that morning (after getting fixed up). And --</p><p>That’s not the point here. She needed to find Poe and that guy will know. </p><p>She immediately straightened. A light bulb, a big brain idea, one that she’s actually quite proud of herself for coming up with as she eyed the phone in Finn’s back pocket. That Kylo Ren / Ben guy is too lazy to put a passcode on his phone so he probably still has the GPS tracker on his phone. And if he has his phone on him, we know where he is. It's much better than Plan B, which is “show up at his apartment.” They can just ‘happen’ to bump into him and maybe, if they were lucky, Poe might just be there anyways. </p><p>She reached out trying to grab the phone before Finn asked too many questions but the younger man chose this movement to bend over slightly, crashing her to palm a handful of his butt. He turned to look at her even as she took the phone from his back pocket. “Uh, Rey, I like you a lot and maybe in another time or dimension, this could work,” he held back laughter, thinking this joke (he’d made it before and he’d used up all of Rey’s ‘good one’ vouchers on it). “But I think you should know that I’m gay.”</p><p>She faked a gasp before she started her faux lament. “Oh no, how <em> will </em> I survive <em> now </em> ?” She tried to navigate the unfamiliar phone but unlike Ben / Kylo, Finn actually had a passcode. Now, let’s see, she could just <em> ask </em> or she could die of second-hand embarrassment. It’s been awhile since she’s gotten a good dying in so she tested the passcode out. 763763. She stuck her tongue out in disgust as it unlocked. P (7), O (6), E (3). Just double Poe. “Really, Finn?”</p><p>“What? It’s my passcode,” he shrugged. Even a lovesick puppy would be telling him to take it down a notch right now. “And what are you doing?”</p><p>“I want to find where that Kylo Ren or Ben guy is right now.”</p><p>Finn’s face twisted in concern and he gently tried to extract the phone from her hands. “Rey, babe, why don’t you hand me back the phone, okay?”</p><p>“No, Finn,” she squirmed and almost fell off the seat. “I’ve got to see him about --”</p><p>“It absolutely could <em> not </em> have been that good of a fuck.”</p><p>“Oh, ew, no!” she bunched up her face in disgust. And in a particularly haughty tone, she added, “And mind your language around a <em> lady</em>.”</p><p>Finn chuckled. “Oh, did one come in while I had my back turned?” </p><p>She shot him a dirty look before she opened the Find My app. As she hadn’t deactivated it yet. She tapped the phone. “Look.”</p><p>Finn peered at the intersection. “So? I know where that is. It’s that experimental theater uptown.”</p><p>“You do?” she said, getting up and grabbing her coat off the couch. “Great, let’s go.</p><p>“I don’t think I should encourage your stalking.”</p><p>“Finn, you were going to search up Poe’s number online a few moments ago. I think we’re both past this now,” she shimmied into the jean jacket. She dropped to the floor to find her other loafer. She could have sworn she took it off by the door. She tried to be casual (as casual as one can be on the floor). Finn hated when she didn’t take her shoes off immediately after entering. “Besides, this is for you. This guy knows Poe, get it? So it stands he must know where Poe is or at the very least, have his real number.”</p><p>Just then, there was some thumping, feet clattering, and the sound of clothes against clothes. She thought for a brief second the roof was collapsing and she lifted herself up slightly. Instead of debris on her head, she was now face-to-face, or rather, <em> face-to-shoe </em> with Finn. He held out her loafers to her, slightly breathless in his rush. “Hurry up so we can go,” he breathed out. “Meet me in the car.”</p><p>Rey looked up with a chuckle as Finn closed the door eagerly. She propped herself up on one elbow, still on the floor. He seemed...excited. She hopes Kylo Ren or Ben or whoever the hell he is was in a better mood today than he was before.</p><hr/><p>Finn had nearly pushed her from the moving car as they approached the theater. “Go in there and find him,” he’d shouted from the driver seat after she’d gotten out. “I’ll park this stupid thing and be in there in a minute. And if Poe’s there, ---”</p><p>Luckily, a loud beep from the car behind him that desperately wanted him to <em>go</em> and <em>hurry up</em> and <em>stop holding up traffic</em> cut him off. Good, too, because there was no way she was going to do or say whatever Finn’s little lovesick brain wanted her to. </p><p>She’d never been to this theater (or this part of town really). It was the type of place that artsy people created shows that newsletters she didn’t read called “eclectic” and “visionary.” (Which she always assumed were code for “we didn’t get it” and “they tried.”) It looked modern though and expensive; and despite her chirping, the shows must fill up because there had to be at least 400 seats here. And a balcony. <em> Very fancy</em>. The type of place a dirty guy from the Heights would look at home and out of place in at the same time. </p><p>She looked around for signs of life and they were exactly where she expected people. On stage. A group of them in a little circle, looking all very artistic. A striking blonde woman with short hair, statuesque and taller than the two men in the group. A redheaded guy, pale and with a bitter expression that his face to be permanently set to. And then a third person...a tall guy, with a mop of long black hair, and -- <em> holy crap</em>. It’s <em> him</em>. </p><p>It can’t be.</p><p>He almost looked like a different person up there. His hair looked like it had a <em> product </em> in it; beautifully coiffed with <em> luster</em>. His clothes were clean and well-fitting and from what she could see, his socks matched this time. This must be some kind of mistake. Maybe he has a twin? Either way, <em> this </em> must have been what she slept with -- a complete lie, of course, because she’s seen the real version of him. But thank every deity that at least she’d been fooled and hadn’t just looked at him in his natural state and said <em> ‘ah, yes, I want that one.’  </em></p><p>Rey caught his eye immediately and she waved him down as she sped down the aisle towards the stage. His eyes seemed to widen and she could have sworn she saw him mutter something (A curse? She wouldn’t put it past him) under his breath. With a long stride and a definite purpose, he began to match her movements, closing in to meet her just as she got on the stage. </p><p>“Ben!” she said, almost breathless, excited that this whole ‘investigation’ may <em> actually </em> pay off. “I’m looking for your friend P ---”</p><p>Before she could even get the name out, Ben’s lips crashed into her own. <em> Roughly </em> . It was uncomfortable to say the least. For one, Ben’s lips were puckered so tightly Rey thought he might have actually found a way to flex a newly found muscle in the lip. Two, he held her in a vice grip like a snake holding its prey. But last, and certainly the worst, his eyes were wide open, staring at her like they were trying to warn her to ‘ <em> seriously, shut the hell up when I let go </em>.’</p><p>“Honey! How nice of you to come see me, ” he laughed, throwing his head back to let the other two people on stage see the obviously fake smile. He was a terrible actor. He leaned in to hug Rey, only to whisper in her ear. His breath was warm against her and the sensation sent a vibration down her spine. Too bad he had to run it all by whispering harshly, “What the <em> hell </em> are you doing here?”  </p><p>The tall blonde woman had one hand on her hip and a script in the other. She stared at them for a moment before only addressing him. There was a note of suspicion in her voice. “Did she just call you Ben?”</p><p>“She said Ren, Phasma,” he took a moment to pinch Rey’s lower back. She whelped quietly, mouth closed. The smile she flashed was strained. Ben leaned in toward the woman like he was telling her a secret. He made a quick motion, as if he were bringing a glass to his mouth, “She has a little bit of a drinking problem. Slurs her words. Poor thing; we’re trying to get her help.”</p><p>The older woman took a moment to glance at Rey, then nodded at him. “I see.”</p><p>As she turned to walk away with the redhead, Rey kicked him in his shin. “I don’t have a drinking problem,” she whispered harshly. She kicked him again. “And you did not need to pinch me back there. I got the message loud and clear.”</p><p>“What are you even doing here?” he hissed, pulling her further off to the side and away from the other actors. “How did you find me?”</p><p>“That’s not important,” she replied. She was suddenly aware that explaining that she essentially had a GPS tracker on his phone may make her sound like a stalker. “What is important is that I need to contact Poe.”</p><p>“What?” he scoffed. There was a derisive tone to his voice that drove her mad. “Is your friend in a family way? Has Dameron skipped town just before the baby’s arrival?”</p><p>Rey’s eye twitched and the kick this time was meant to <em> hurt </em> . Ben cried out and it was a sweet melody to her ears. <em> Mission accomplished. </em> “Just for <em> one </em> moment, could you try <em> not </em> being yourself?”</p><p>There was a hint of wetness in his eye that contrasted sharply with the fury in them. “How the hell am I supposed to know where he is?”</p><p>“Aren’t you his friend?”</p><p>“If you use the term loosely. And by loosely, I mean completely disregard its meaning, then yes, we’re friends.”</p><p>“I don’t believe you.”</p><p>“Doesn’t really matter, does it?” Ben shrugged. “Because either way, I don’t know where Dameron is. Sorry your friend got his hopes up about him; really, Rinn seems like a nice --”</p><p>“Finn.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“His name is Finn, not Rinn, not Linn,” she replied fiercely. “<em>Finn </em>. Which should be easy enough to remember considering you seem to go by seventeen different names.”</p><p>“I only go by one,” he said through gritted teeth, his voice again a whisper. “Kylo Ren, okay? And keep your voice down.”</p><p>“Kylo Ren?” She almost laughed. It was the first time she’d heard him say it and it sounded even more ridiculous when he did.  “Is that all one word? Am I supposed to say the whole thing?”</p><p>He smiled, strained and sarcastic. “Just Kylo will do. And now that you have all your questions answered, you can go and never ever come back here, okay? Okay. Bye-bye now.”</p><p>He inched Rey toward the double doors of the rehearsal hall before a voice bellowed out behind him. The scary-looking red head. He was wearing a beret now and if Rey knew anything about the acting world, he must be the director. Or French. Or a revolutionary. Or just fashionable. It’s either one or all of those. “Ren, it’s your scene!”</p><p>Oh, now it's Ren? Whoever he was, he cursed under his breath and pointed toward the auditorium seating. “Listen, I really don’t know where Poe is so don’t mess this up for me. Sit there and don’t make a noise.”  </p><p>Rey shrugged and turned to acknowledge Finn, who'd just come through the double doors. She put a finger to her lips and pointed to the stage as the actors went to their marks. The blonde haired woman was quite convincing - Rey'd never seen this production but she's most definitely supposed to be some villain with a long silver cloak that looked like high fashion on her. She was engaging, if not a little too convincing in the role. The redhead is acting in it, too, she figured (or he's standing in for someone) and he's a villain as well. A little hammy and over-the-top, but it works for the zealot-type and it contrasts well off the blonde.</p><p>Rey kind of feels goods about this. She felt cultured. She was watching experimental theater and -- <em>oh</em>, there he is. He looked striking in all black with a heavy black linen cape. His presence filled the stage as well as it filled a room and her heartbeat wildly in her ear as he opened his mouth to say his first line and -- <em>oh...!</em></p><p>
  <em>Oh.</em>
</p><p>What the hell is this?</p><p>Rey didn't know anything about acting but she knew <em>that</em> was bad. The redhead seemed to know it was bad by his sour expression turning almost constipated. The blonde seemed to be more of a professional; stoic and playing along like he hadn't just clearly botched the line. He's a <em>terrible</em> actor. <em>Horrific</em>. And it's more apparent now than ever before that he must have rich parents to afford that apartment. Either that or he's terrible at budgeting because there is no way he makes a steady living off...<em>that</em>.</p><p>She could see Finn politely nodding next to her and she turned to him sharply. “Don't say a word.”</p><p>“I don't even have words to describe that,” he said while offering a small applause as the scene ended.</p><p>The group on stage seemed to now notice the increase in the audience and instantly, Rey noticed how the blonde woman and the redhead seemed to perk at the new addition. Kylo (and Rey decided that Kylo was probably okay for now, at least while he's here) seemed to notice as well. And he seemed as perplexed as Rey. The redhead walked up to Finn and examined him from head to toe. He was mumbling something under his breath now -- a <em>yes</em>, an <em>interesting</em>, a <em>the part was made for him</em> -- and Finn was visibly uncomfortable under the intense scrutiny. The blonde approached but stood a small distance behind him, nodding along as if she understood the incoherent babbling. </p><p>A pale hand landed on Finn’s shoulder and slowly traveled down toward his bicep. The motion gave Finn chills even before the man squeezed gently. “Your name. Now.”</p><p>“I think you're supposed to introduce yourself first,” he said, trying to shake himself out of the man's gripe. He had a good hold on him.</p><p>“Armitage Hux. You may refer to me as Hux.”</p><p>“Hi,” Finn offered limply. “I'm Finn and she's Rey.”</p><p>“Hi --” Rey tried to offer but he cut her off.</p><p>“How would you like to be in the production, Finn?” Hux said without acknowledging her. </p><p>Finn glanced at Rey then at the man again. His hand was still loosely gripping Finn’s bicep and the younger man would like nothing more than for him to let go. “I’m not an actor. I’ve never acted in my life.”</p><p>“I have an eye for talent,” Hux wet his bottom lip unconsciously. “And I sense a lot of <em>potential</em> in you.”</p><p>Rey’s eyebrow rose. Something is...<em> off </em> about this guy. Potential doesn't mean potential when he says it. Not the way she knows what that word means but she doesn't know what <em>he</em> means. Her Creep Meter is beeping like crazy and her Friend Senses were telling her it's time to get him out of here. Geez, was this  the reason why Finn didn't want to go out anymore? Is the world filled with these types? With weird, serial killer looking (and acting, for that matter) guys like this? She glanced at Phasma behind him. <em>And their potential accomplices.</em> Rey didn't forget Kylo even though she couldn't track him down right now. Another accomplice maybe? <em>Probably</em>. “Uh, Finn and I were only here to watch our friend --”</p><p>“I don’t remember speaking to you,” Hux frowned. He returned his attention to Finn, “If she needs to have a part for me to have you then I guess she could play, I don’t know, Scavenger #2 or something.”</p><p>Finn shook his head again. “Thank you but I’m not --”</p><p>“He’d love to,” a voice called out from behind them. Ben. Kylo. The taller man clasped a hand on Finn’s shoulder and drew up closely to his side. “Right, Finn, my friend,” he squeezed Finn into a tight half-hug. “You’d love to be in this production, right?”</p><p>Finn looked to Rey for help. She threw her arms up and shook her head, a mixed signal that Finn would really love to have clarified right about now. She mouthed the name 'Poe' and then pointed at Kylo Ren / Ben (hell, Poe called him Ben, so Finn's calling him Ben, too). <em>But what the hell does all that mean, Rey?</em> “Uh, okay, if you both agree to stop touching me, I’ll do it.”</p><p>Instantaneously, both men drew away from Finn. An unpleasant smile (and Rey and Finn both think that’s just how this guy smiles) crept across Hux’s face. “Welcome abroad,” he handed Finn the script that was in his other hand. “FN-2187.”</p><p>An uneasy expression played on Finn’s face as he looked between Ben and Hux. Ben seemed satisfied with himself for some reason and the Hux guy had a hand on his chin, giving Finn another once over. </p><p>Why did he have a feeling that this wasn’t going to be fun for him at all?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Rey, <em> hey, </em>it’s Finn again. Please, if you love me even just a little bit, please come get me from Kylo Ren’s apartment. By the way, that’s his real name or something, I don’t know. Anyways, call me back, please. Please, Rey, these people are insufferable. You should see this play, it’s a nightmare and --”</p><p>“Finn.” An icy hand clasped his shoulder from behind him and chilled him through his clothes. “It’s time.”</p><p>“-- I gotta go now, Rey. Call me back as soon as possible. Bye.” Finn laughed awkwardly and turned to face the sickly pale redhead behind him. “Is it my scene already?”</p><p>“Yes, FN-2187, it’s your scene,” he breathed, almost distressed, as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “And please, remember to stay in character.”</p><p>“Yeah, okay, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that,” Finn pulled the script out of his back pocket and pointed to the page marked up in red. “Why would my character be in love with the general? He has a soliloquy about how much he hates him on page 8.”</p><p>“These are artistically necessary changes to the show,” Hux put his hands behind his back. “Even Ren believes it adds a tragic depth to the production.”</p><p>Finn took a moment to peer over Hux’s shoulder at the taller man. The man in question glanced over and gave an eager two thumbs up. “He did, did he?”</p><p>“Yes, he can be brilliant when he allows himself to be,” Hux gave a curt nod. His eyes glowed as he examined Finn’s chest. “Do you work out, FN-2187?”</p><p>“From time-to-time,” the younger man inched backwards until he hit the bookcase behind him. The books rattled and one in particular, a small black book, fell to the floor. Finn smiled nervously and reached down to grab it. “Oh --”</p><p>“You can leave that. I’m sure Ren doesn’t mind with the way he keeps this place,” Hux said, taking another step toward him. </p><p>“Hey, you two!” Ben seemed to pop up between them out of nowhere. He placed a hand on both their shoulders and drew them in close. “Are we going to rehearse or do you two need a room?”</p><p>“We’re going to rehearse,” Finn answered quickly. He wasn’t fond of how often people touched each other around here. It was only then that the younger man caught an eyeful of Ben’s nipple. <em> What the --, </em> he began but his thought was cut off by his own yelp as his eyes traveled downward. It wasn’t the only exposed piece of flesh. “ <em> Why </em>aren’t you wearing any clothes?”</p><p>“For the next scene,” he replied. “Phasma thought the nudity would really capture the vulnerability of my character. He would enter with the heavy fabric of his cape <em> but </em> by the end, he would be exposed on stage, raw and empty. Innocent as the day he was born, the heavy black cape draped at his feet; his evil shed and borne new.”</p><p>Finn’s eyebrow rose at the terrible sense of drama that Ben was trying to convey before resuming his efforts to squirm away from the near nude body. “Can you really be on stage naked like that? Aren’t there obscenity laws --”</p><p>“That is a <em> brilliant </em> idea,” Hux cut him off with a nod. He turned curtly to Finn, “Take off your clothes.”</p><p>“I would prefer to keep them on,” Finn frowned. “To capture how reluctant my character is.”</p><p>“Yes, <em> yes,</em>” the director nodded. “A gradual stripping. A removal of layers, of hesitation, of reservation. Beautiful.”</p><p>“All right, that sounds like a plan,” Ben chirped. “Hux, before we do Finn’s scene, Phasma and I have work-shopped a few ideas we’d like you to see.”</p><p>Hux scowled. “Fine, I’ll take a look.”</p><p>Finn’s eye twitched the moment he was alone. Something was <em> wrong </em> with these people. No decorum, no propriety, no sanity. They touched each other far too much. They’re <em> too </em> comfortable dressing around each other. And far, <em> far </em> too comfortable being naked around each other even when the scenes were <em> over. </em> For the sake of <em> ‘art.’ </em> They raised every hackle he had. Where the hell is Rey and why won’t she call him back? He needed an excuse to <em> go.  </em></p><p>He listened halfheartedly as they work-shopped the scene where the Captain (ably played by Phasma) and the Knight (not so ably played by Kylo Ren) descend upon a desert village. Finn was supposed to be in that scene originally but Hux (their “director”) said it made more sense for Finn’s character (FN-2187, the Soldier) to have a parallel love scene with the General instead. Finn wished he knew what the hell the plot of this play was. He doesn’t think any of them know either. </p><p>He sighed, trying to release the tension in his body. As his hands relaxed, he’d forgotten that he’d knocked that little book down and forgot to put it away. Oh, shit, it’s not a book. It looked like a notebook and he’d totally crushed it. He opened it quickly, turning the pages to make sure he didn’t ruin anything and -- and this was a weird kind of notebook, Finn thought. He scanned it quickly and recognized some of the symbols. He snapped it shut with his mouth slightly agape.</p><p>
  <em> No way.  </em>
</p><p>He opened it again and flipped wildly through the book before snapping it shut again. <em> Yes way. </em> Oh, fuck. These were <em> definitely </em> the Symbols. The ones that the nuns warned him to avoid. The ones that sinners used to signal their sexual deviancy. </p><p>His puritanical background seemed to rise up like a full moon tide. He opened the book again to a random page and examined it closely. There were men’s names, women’s names, stars, check marks, and a whole complicated set of symbols that even a professional code breaker wouldn’t be able to decipher. He didn’t <em> recognize </em> that one. This was Kylo Ren’s notebook, too. He--he was <em> depraved. </em> He probably lured innocent drunk women to his sex dungeon. He probably has some--some kind of <em>facility</em> that he takes them to. The kind with stripped back concrete walls and a bone-chilling draft. Like some kind of dank cellar. Rey wasn’t some inexperienced virgin but she was earnest and discerning in her taste ( <em> usually </em>). And she certainly deserved to have sex somewhere that wasn't a dank cellar. </p><p><em> The bastard. </em> </p><p>Something clicked in Finn’s mind just then as he looked up at the trio. Ben was still naked with only a black (<em> satanic, </em> Finn’s mind added for good measure) robe to cover him. <em> Oh my, God. </em> They were <em> perverts. </em> Sexual deviants and not in the <em> fun </em> way Finn has read about online. In the sex cult kind of way. And they -- <em> oh, God, </em> did they want to <em> recruit </em>him? Is that they insisted he join their ‘troupe’? Is that why Ben is there even though he can’t act for shit? Is that why they are all so comfortable naked with each other? Is that why Hux is always in his space? </p><p>He snapped the book shut one last time. He <em> had </em> to tell Rey. Despite all her protesting, Finn thinks she really does like this guy. But he couldn’t let him around her, not when he’s doing --- doing <em> whatever </em> this is. But it would break her heart. And <em> technically, </em> he has just been jumping from conclusion to conclusion without any solid proof beyond the little black book. </p><p>Finn groaned as he heard the line that would cue him to enter for his next scene. He put the book in his back pocket to examine it more closely in the future. </p><p>He’d put up with <em> this </em> a little longer to get the concrete evidence he needed but he learned today that apparently his love for Rey goes as far as ‘join a sex cult.’ Finn took a deep breath. <em> Well, Mother Superior, this is what the big city had done to your most faithful child.  </em></p>
<hr/><p>When Rey had gotten her current phone, the guy at the shop up-sold the battery life. Which means he flat out lied because the battery has been dropping by 5% every five minute for the last fifteen minutes. Yet even then her phone died on her when she should have <em> at least </em> another ten minutes of usage left. <em> At least.  </em></p><p>Rey groaned on the bustling sidewalk. She’d received Finn’s highly distressed and almost eerie voice messages (all sixteen of them, which she felt bad about but she’d been taking a bath so sue her). She knew vaguely, from her hungover drive home and what she remembered from the address, that Ben’s place was around here somewhere, but without her phone she was lost. Utterly, <em> utterly </em> lost. </p><p>It didn’t help that she was on foot (Finn was the one with a car). She sighed. She’d have to find some kind of cafe. They usually had a bunch of chargers they lend out to patrons, especially the ones in these kind of tech-friendly neighborhoods. And there were no shortage of cafes either -- it seemed like every other shop was a coffee shop. All she had to do was pick --</p><p>She walked past one coffee shop in particular and only took two steps past it before she completely froze. Rey’s whole body seized as her brain rejected what her periphery had picked up.<em> It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t. </em>Rey took mechanical two steps backwards. Then, she turned on the axis of her hip to stare at the man sitting inside the cozy little cafe, comfy and without a care in the world, a small coffee on the kitschy table in front of him. </p><p>It was definitely Poe Dameron. She would never forget the face. That devilishly attractive, stupid face. </p><p>
  <em> The bastard. </em>
</p><p>And he looked far too peaceful for a man who’d just broken her beast friend’s heart. Rey loomed over him on the other side of the window as she wondered what she should do to him when she finally has her hands on him. She had time, she figured. Right now, he was too engrossed in his book to notice the growing menace outside the window. </p><p>However, as the clouds shifted and the sun dared to peak out again, Rey’s body cast a long shadow over the older man. </p><p><em> That </em> got his attention. </p><p>He startled when he saw her almost demented looking face staring down at him. <em> I’ve got you now, Poe Dameron, </em> she gave a toothy, wild-eyed smile that seemed to cause the older man to retreat in his seat. She saw him mouth her name in question, <em> Rey? </em> At the very least, he wasn’t a coward. She respected that in an enemy. Rey mouthed back while pointing at him furiously, <em> Stay there! </em></p><p>She entered the cafe with fast, angry little steps but it was Poe, now standing, who confronted her first. “What are you doing here?”</p><p>“What am<em> I </em> doing here?” Rey scoffed. “You have some nerve, you know that?”</p><p>“What are you talking about?”</p><p>“Uh, hello?” her mouth twisted cynically. <em> What a scumbag. </em> “Giving Finn that fake number? You could have just let him down easy rather than build his hopes up like that.”</p><p>Poe’s face bunched in confusion. “<em>I </em>didn’t give Finn a fake number.”</p><p>“How are you going to lie?” she shook her head. “You’re unbelievable. Truly unbelievable.”</p><p>Poe’s mouth was a worried, if not hopeful, line now. “So, wait, Finn still likes me?”</p><p>“Unfortunately,” Rey crossed her arms. “You’re really the worst. I don’t know --”</p><p>“I didn’t give him a fake number, Rey,” he cut her off firmly. His eyes flickered downward and Rey thought she might barf at the wistful melancholy in his whisper, “This whole time I thought maybe Finn didn’t want to see me again.”</p><p>“Am I supposed to believe this?” And much to her disdain, she <em> maybe </em> (kind of) actually <em> does </em> believe the older man. She sighed in defeat, letting her arms drop. “Fine, but if you’re telling the truth -- and I’m not sure you are -- what was up with that number? And how come we can’t find any trace of you online?”</p><p>His eyebrow rose. “You looked up my name online?” </p><p>“Finn did,” She’d never admit it was actually her idea. “He was <em> distraught. </em>Now about your number, please.”</p><p>Poe’s mind seemed to be working something out. “I wrote it down and saw Finn put it in his front left pocket,” he muttered. “Then Ben came and -- fuck, <em> Ben </em>.”</p><p>“Ben?”</p><p>Poe’s tongue pressed aggressively into the side of his mouth. “That bastard switched out the papers somehow.” He seemed to snap into action now. “Give me your phone to call Finn.”</p><p>“First of all, you don’t give me orders,” she frowned. “And second, you don’t have his number already?”</p><p>“I didn’t get it.”</p><p>“You didn’t get it?” She sounded skeptical. </p><p>“Are you always this difficult?” he asked. A beat later, when it was clear Rey wasn’t going to answer, he continued rather sheepishly. “We were a little busy the whole night.”</p><p>“Oh, please,” she shuddered. “I don’t want to know.”</p><p>“Then <em> don’t </em> ask,” he frowned. Now impatient, he asked, “Can we please call Finn now?”</p><p>“My phone’s dead,” she displayed it as proof. “I got lost on my way to Ben’s apartment --”</p><p>Poe made a face. “Okay, I don’t want to know <em> that. </em>”</p><p>“Not that, you pervert,” she spat. “Finn’s joined Ben’s theater group and they’re rehearsing at his place today. He’s having a terrible time --”</p><p>“Finn did <em> what? </em>” Poe cut her off. He seemed genuinely concerned and horrified. He’s probably seen some of their productions. “Why the hell would he do that?”</p><p>“The creepy redhead practically insisted and Ben encouraged it,” Rey shrugged. “Finn just goes with the flow a lot and it didn’t help that he’s been in a weird headspace because of you.” </p><p>“Ben encouraged it?” The older man seemed confused now. “You said they’re at Ben’s place?”</p><p>“Yeah, do you know where it is?”</p><p>“Don’t you?” he gave a strained smile as he headed toward the door. Rey had to remind herself that she couldn’t assault someone in broad daylight. She’d wait until they were in a dark corner. “Well, c’mon if you’re coming.”</p><p>Rey followed behind him, strangling the air just behind his neck as they walked out of the cafe. <em>Not today,</em> she reminded herself, <em>but someday.</em> If she had it her way, Poe Dameron would not be allowed within a hundred feet of Finn. She sighed, resigned, as she followed Poe down the street. But after the day the younger man seemed to be having, she figured she might actually be lucky to have gotten lost and stumbled upon him. Finn would be ecstatic, and seeing Poe would certainly make the rehearsal for that nightmare of a play all the more worth it. Besides, not selfishly or anything, her heart skipped an uncomfortable beat at the thought of seeing Ben again. She held back a small smile. <em>Guess she and Finn will be kind of luck, huh?</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>alt title for chapter: "Finn in the Den of Sin" &amp; it makes me wanna write something that is just depraved. ☆( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Orgies ft. Finn.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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